Thread-drawing attachment for sewing-machines.



I. HOLTZMANN, DEUD. L. HOLTZMANN, 11112011111111. THREAD DRAWING ATTACHMENT FORSEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 191a.

1,106,813, Patented Aug.11,19141 THE NORRIS PETERS CO1. FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHING TON, D C.

UNITED STATEti PATENT @FFTCE.

JOHN I-IOLTZMANN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND; LOUISE IEIOLTZMANN EXECUTRIX OF SAID JOHN HOLTZMANN, DECEASED.

THREAD-DRAWING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWIITG-ILIACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HOLTZMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Drawing At tachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a sewing machine attachment for drawing the ends of the needle threads down to the lower side of the work at the commencement of seams, so that there will be no thread-ends extending from the fair or upper side of the work at the parts of the seams referred to.

The invention is more particularly intended for use in connection with multiple needle machines forming single-thread chain-stitch seams, and equipped with upper and lower folders as shown in my Patent No. 1,065,941, granted July 1, 1913, to which style of machine the invention has been successfully applied. In the use of a sewing machine such as that partly illustrated in my said patent, in forming what are known as the centers of the fronts of shirts, and in stitching said centers to the shirts, strips of cloth are drawn through the upper and lower folders, the upper folded strip being drawn forward beyond the lower folded strip, and the forward end of the said upper folded strip being turned in under and drawn forward so as to be abutted against the needles which serve as a stop to position the said forward end of the upped folded strip, the presser foot being lifted slightly to permit of this positioning of the work. If now the machine be started in the ordinary way the ends of the needle threads at the commencement of the seams will be left projecting above the work, on the fair side thereof, so that they will have to be trimmed off by hand to afford a proper finish to the work; but with my new attachment these thread-ends may be drawn down to the lower side of the work so as to be invisible from the upper or fair side thereof. a

This new attachment comprises a thin finger or blade carried at the forward end of a lever arranged to swing horizontally on the work-plate of the machine, said finger being disposed close to the throat-plate so as Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. July 29, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914. Serial No. 781,770.

to lie beneath the work. In the use of this lmprovement, after the work has been positioned as above described, and with the forward turned-under end of the upper folded strip abutted against the needles, a partial rotation of the hand wheel of the machine will cause the needles to descend through the work and present their loops to the loopers, and then rise above the work. The presser foot is now lifted slightly (in practice by a foot lever or knee lever) and the thread-drawing finger is caused to swing forward beneath the presser foot so that it sweeps against the needle threads and draws down the ends of said threads, pulling the loops away from the loopers and disposing the thread-ends beneath the work. In thus pulling down the ends of the needle threads the forward movement of the thread drawing finger is approximately in the direction of the forward feed of the work, and thus the thread ends are carried forward of the needles so that they will be entirely out of the way of the subsequent stitching. The threaddrawing lever is now permitted to assume its normal or initial position, and the machine is started in the usual way with the result that the theread-ends at the commencement of the seams will lie beneath the work so that they will not be visible from the fair side thereof, and need not be trimmed off.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a plan view representing in dotted lines the work-plate of a sewing machine with the new attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on line 22 Fig; 1, to show the normal relation of the thread-drawing finger to the throat-plate and presser-foot. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the thread-drawing finger and the lever by which it is carried.

Referring to the drawing, 12 denotes a thin thread-drawing finger or blade carried by a lever 13 which is pivoted near its middle to the work-plate 14 of the sewing ma chine, the said finger or blade 12 being so disposed that it may be caused to swing or sweep over the throat-plate 15, said throatplate being provided with the usual feed and needle openings. The rear end of the lever 13 is preferably connected by a spiral spring 16 with the said work-plate 14, said spring serving to retract said lever to its normal or inoperative position after having been swung to the position denoted by dotted lines in Fig. 1, for a thread-drawing operation, the said lever being normally held by said spring against a stop-pin 17 on the workplate, and the swinging movements of the said lever at the thread-drawing operations being preferably limitedby a stop-pin 18. For convenience of manipulation the said lever 13 is preferably provided with ahandle piece, as 19, which may be of the form shown, or may be simply a knob. When in its normal or inoperative position the thread-finger will lie close against the throat-plate 15, beneath or partly beneath the upturned front portion of the presserfoot 20, and just in front of the forward end of the lower folder 21 which corresponds to the lower folder 38 illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings of my said Patent No. 1,065,941.

' WVhen the work has been positioned as hereinbefore stated, and the hand-wheel of the machine has been partially rotated to cause the needles to descend through the work and then rise above the same, the presser-foot is lifted slightly and the lever 18 will then be quickly moved by the attendant to the position denoted by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the thread drawing finger 1.2, in such movement, passes beneath the presser-foot and work, and during such movement draws the ends of the threads down through the work to the lower side thereof. The said lever 13 may now be re leased and will be quickly retracted to its normal position by the spring 16, and the machine may then be started with the result that the thread-ends at the commencement of the seams will be below the work and thus be invisible from the fair or upper side of the work, as hereinbefore stated.

As will be readily understood a very considerable saving results from the use of the invention, particularly in connection with the class of work hereinbefore referred to, in that the trimming off of the ends of needle threads at the commencement of seams by hand, as heretofore necessary, is no longer required, and the work heretofore requiring two operatives may now be performed by one.

The invention is not to be understood as being limited to the details herein shown, or to use in connection with multiple-needle machines, as it is obvious that it may be advantageously employed, if desired, in connection with single-needle machines, al though it is more useful in connection with multiple-needle machines in that in the work produced by'such machines there is a plurality of needle thread-ends which, by the use of the invention, may be concealed by being drawn down to the lower side of the work.

Having thus described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with the work-plate, throat-plate and presser-foot, of a thin thread-drawing finger disposed above but close to the said throatplate and normally. in front of said presserfoot, and means for operating said finger whereby it may be swung forward horizontally in the general direction of theforward feed of the work, over the said'throat-plate and beneath said presser-foot,when the latter is slightly lifted, for the purpose of'drawing down the ends of needle threads and carrying them forward of the needles.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with the work-plate, throat-plate and presser-foot, of a thin thread-drawing finger disposed above but close to the said throat plate and normally in front of said presserfoot, and a lever pivoted to said work-plate and by which said finger is carried, so that said finger may be. swung forward horizontally in the general direction of the forward feed of the work over the said throat-plate and beneath said presser-foot, when the lat ter is slightly lifted, for the purpose of drawing down the ends of needle threads and carrying them forward of the needles. 3. In a sewing machine, the combination with the work-plate, throat-plate and presser-foot, of a thin thread-drawing finger disposed above but close to the said throatplate and normally in front of said presserfoot, a lever pivoted to said work-plate and 1 by which said finger is carried, so that said finger may be swung forward horizontally in the general direction of the forwardfeed of the work over the said throat-plate and beneath said presser-foot, when the latter is slightly lifted, for the purpose of drawing down the ends of needle threads and carrying them forward of the needles, a retracting spring for returning said lever to its normal or inoperative position, and a stop for limiting the movement of said lever under the action of said spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

J OHN- HOLTZMANN. Witnesses:

J. HENRY RUPPERT, JAMEs C.;SP1TLEP..

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

